Nissan set to target three key markets

Nissan looks set to focus on increasing its market share in Japan, China and the United States, while scaling back operations in Europe and elsewhere.

The embattled carmaker is due to reveal its “operational performance plan” on May 28, which will tackle fixing problems from former boss Carlos Ghosn’s ambitious expansion plans, Reuters reports.

Attempts to gain market share, particularly in the United States, during Ghosn’s reign led to steep discounting and a cheapened brand. 

Nissan hopes its new, three-year plan will restore dealer ties and refresh line-ups to regain pricing power and profitability, sources say.

It is believed the plan will also aim to cut competition and expand co-operation in certain markets with its alliance partners Mitsubishi and Renault SA.

Ashwani Gupta, pictured, chief operating officer at Nissan, is behind the measures that aim to free resources to invest in products and technology for Japan, China and the US.

Despite the shift in focus, Japan’s second-largest carmaker is expected to try to maintain a presence in Europe through improved efforts with its Qashqai and Juke crossover SUVs.

It is likely to target increased sales in Thailand and the Philippines, but line-ups are expected to tighten in countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Russia, Brazil and Mexico.

Nissan has previously put its annual global production capacity at more than seven million vehicles, but that is expected to drop to about 5.5m under the new plan.